Mexico Sleevers!

I have a dear friend who is very interested in getting sleeved. His insurance is blue cross blue shield and wont pay because he doesnt qualify with the at least two required options. So his next option is going to Mexico and self pay. Which is not a problem for him. I am just curious what do they charge for this procedure and which Doctors ( of the two on our forum) do you recommend more? Thanks for your input in advance for he really needs this information and I would love to see him sleeved before it starts effecting his health.

I had Dr. Almanza at the Jerusalem Hospital. It was just over 4,000.00 dollars and I was very pleased with everything.

Lots of options in Mexico.... Some of the cheaper surgeons like Almanza charge around 4-4500. I chose to pay a bit more and go to Dr. Ariel Ortiz.. Best decision I ever made! Regardless of who your friend chooses, the cost is wayyyyyy cheaper than the US so please research and do your due diligence... obviously not a decision to take lightly... People choose surgeons based on a variety of reasons.. whether it's cost, comfort, accolades, etc... Ask lots of questions and don't be pushed to make a snap decision... I researched for over 5 years and ALWAYS came back to Dr. Ariel Ortiz...... My story is one of thousands.. Try not to get overwhelmed with your research.. There are a lot of Mexico sleevers on the board so feel free to reach out to them individually for advice....

Best of Luck!!

I was just sleeved 12/10 by Dr. Alvarez in Piedras Negras, Mexico, and was blown away by how awesome everything was. My sister was sleeved somewhere in Mexico a year ago, and while (1) she has had no problems and (2) it was several thousand dollars cheaper, she describes the differences in our experiences sort of like a Camry versus a Lexus. After hearing her experience, I chose to look for another option.

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE don't think I'm bashing anyone else's choice or experience -- it is a personal decision and each of us have to be happy with it -- just relaying ours.

Some of the reasons I chose Dr. Alvarez were low complication rates, how many surgeries he does a day (definitely ask this), his surgical focus (only sleeves vs. tummy tucks etc.), the technique used (oversewing the sleeve/etc.), the fact that I would be staying in a full hospital (vs. a clinic) for two full days (vs. going to a recovery house), news reports I found on the surgeon, conversations with people previously sleeved by him (including Susan, his coordinator), the extensive info he has on YouTube (him answering questions and testimonials), his accessibility after my visit (he's available by phone and email, as is Susan), the fact that he travels to the US several times each year to do "patient reunions," etc. I was also happy to hear that Dr. Alvarez has sleeved his mom, niece and aunt recently -- if he's working on his own family you would hope he's doing a good job! ;)

DISCLAIMER #2: I am hesitating to hit "Reply" just because I want to make sure this doesn't come across as criticizing anyone's choices or another surgeon -- so PLEASE readers don't think that! I can only speak for MY decision. I am happy that there are affordable options and a variety of surgeons so we can all make the choice that we feel best about. Ok, enough disclaimers!

Best of luck to your friend on his journey!

Glad to hear it as that is who I have chosen as well.

I had Dr Almanza and would recommend him in a minute. He and his staff were friendly and helpful every step. He was personable when he came in before the surgery to introduce himself. Also, he himself has had the surgery, and even showed us his scar. I had NO problems or issues. I want to tell everyone I know who struggles to go see Dr. Almanza!!

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Originally Posted by Shirleybird

I had Dr. Almanza at the Jerusalem Hospital. It was just over 4,000.00 dollars and I was very pleased with everything.

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Ditto, Almanza was great and I had no complications at all. My mom dad and sister have all had the sleeve also and also used Almanza with no complications.

Me too almanza they were all great just went 12/9

What two options are causing your friend issues? Is he working with a team? My surgeon has staff available (Psych, Nut, RN) who walks you through all the steps required by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Your friend might just have to change to a Doc that has gotten approvals with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Don't give up! Your friend should ask his primary for a referral to a doctor in the network (they have access to this info). Keep us posted, and stay encouraged!

I had it done by Dr. Almanza back in August of 2012. I chose Dr. Almanza for a multitude of reasons, but, the over riding one for me was the amount of surgeries that he has done. I figured with over 10,000 VSG surgeries under his belt, he had seen just about everything that could possible happen on the table and had dealt with it. In other words, there wouldn't be any surprises while he was performing the procedure.

I could not have been more happy with the clinic, the Doctor, or the results. I recommend that you do your recovery at the Hotel Ticuan. That's where I went. Very nice hotel on downtown TJ and the doctor keeps nurses on call at the hotel 24/7. All I had to do was dial room 109 and they would come up and tend to me just as if I was in a real hospital. And, just like a hospital, the nurses came in several times a day to check vitals and clean and dress the surgery sites. Once a day, we would load into a van and go to the clinic for a bag of saline and a checkup. All in all, very relaxed and calm way to recover.

Like the others on here have stated, you need to do your own due diligence and make the decisions based on what is important to you. Make a list of those priorities and then pick your surgeon.

Good luck, any of the surgeons listed on this thread are a good choice. It would be difficult to make a bad choice from that list.